


Just this once

by Keepoffthegrass



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Christmas, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22023064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keepoffthegrass/pseuds/Keepoffthegrass
Summary: Merry Christmas, sorry it is late!In the simplest summary, in the early days of their master/padawan relationship, Obi- Wan gives Anakin a dog for Christmas.First ever Star wars fic and I suck at summaries.
Kudos: 6





	Just this once

**Author's Note:**

> So for the first time in my life (late I know), I have gotten round to seeing movies 1-6 (and rogue one). Star wars has taken over my brain!
> 
> Italics =speaking through the bond
> 
> Just wanted to write something cute for Christmas, sorry it's late. Please be gentle lol.
> 
> I have combined Christmas with the old tradition of Halloween...
> 
> I made up everything about how humans got to the galaxy far far away so I apologize if it is not the canon version. I'm very new to star wars so please feel free to correct me but do so kindly.

Jedi Knight Obi- Wan Kenobi paused for a moment outside of the rooms he shared with his padawan. He had just returned from a solo mission and Anakin was never happy about being left alone, as he saw it.  
Letting out a breath, he put on a smile and let himself in, dismissing the crèche master watching Anakin with a nod and a quiet 'thank you'

"Hello Anakin, how have things been?"

"Ok I guess" the small blonde boy, ten already, frowned.

Obi- Wan found an answering frown on his own face. "Only ok? And what do you mean, you guess?"

"Well I missed you..."

"I missed you too padawan" Obi- Wan hid a smile as he resisted the urge to ruffle the boy's hair. As he busied himself in the kitchen fixing food and drink for them both, he attempted to find the cause of Anakin's ambivalent response.

"And? I'm sensing a but at the end of that..."

"There's a butt at the end of most things master!" 

He failed to stop his eye roll as Anakin giggled. "Very funny I'm sure"

"Padme invited me to spend the holidays with her family, but what does she mean? What holiday? And will I even be allowed to go?!" The young boy explained, kicking his feet, facial expression stuck between confusion and hopeful pleading big eyes.

"Ah. She means Yuleween; the Jedi don't celebrate it" Obi- Wan replied, hand automatically coming out to rest on his young apprentices knee to quell his kicking.

"What's Yuleween? And why don't we celebrate?" Anakin's tone was both curious and sulky; he was going to learn something new, but it was yet another thing he was going to be told he wasn't allowed to do!

"We don't celebrate youngling because it's too much about greed and excess and because it deals with attachment, which the Jedi must not have" Obi- Wan explained, a little sternly.  
As Anakin slumped further, he felt a twinge of guilt and insecurity; he was too young to have a padawan, and no where near good enough to train someone as powerful as young Skywalker! Chosen one or not.  
Perhaps Qui- Gon hadn't even meant for him to train him personally, perhaps he had simply meant for Obi- Wan to do whatever he could to make the council change their mind about training him...

He decided to stick to what he knew he was good at- repeating academic facts.  
"It is a human tradition, brought over with the few refugees that colonised New Teris after Earth was destroyed. It's a time spent with friends and family, feasting and playing games. People hang up lights and decorate with plants in season, among other things.  
They exchange gifts and leave out a light to guide their dead loved ones home for the night"

"How was Earth destroyed?" Anakin asked, and Obi-Wan let his pride and approval filter through their fledgling bond, still such a fragile thing, delicate as a new born bird.

"Well simply put; mankind grew too greedy, and though it may not be a Jedi's place to say, Earth was over populated. They ran out of resources and the climate was all out of sync- hot countries burned without enough water to put out the flames, wetter countries flooded...the displaced came to the cities in their thousands, which led to skirmishes and riots as capacity reached breaking point.  
When it led to world war three, the world's leaders agreed that it was too late; so they sent doctors, engineers, scientists, all the best in their fields, and some gifted children, to find a new home out in the galaxy and start again-"

Obi-Wan paused, as though expecting to hear a 'how did they start again'

Anakin snorted "It's ok Obi Wan, I know how babies are made"

"Right. Of course you do" he cleared his throat." The myths say the first force sensitive human came from those children...  
You know, you couldn't go alone, but if Queen Amidala invited both of us then I could probably wrangle it; as a sort of diplomatic exercise for you, and an opportunity to bolster Jedi/Nubian friendship" Obi- Wan told Anakin with a straight face, as he pretended to give it serious thought. He couldn't keep it up however as the boy's eyes grew as round as Tatooine's twin suns, and his grin grew as wide as a certain Gungan's. It dissolved into laughter when Anakin launched himself at his master with over excited childish abandon.

XXX

"He should be here by now" Anakin pouted to Padme.  
Obi-Wan had been sent on a mission two days ago, but he had assured Anakin that it was straightforward and he would be on Naboo in time for the festivities.

"I'm sure he is trying his hardest to be here Ani, and if he told you he would be here then I believe he will. Have some faith, though I do hope he won't be much longer because I'm starving" the young Queen admitted in a whisper.

Anakin smiled "Me too! I've never seen so much food in one place! Everything looks and smells amazing"

The shrill notes of a bugle cut through the band, as the footman announced the latest arrival.  
"Jedi Knight Kenobi"

The young Queen and the young Jedi exchanged smiles.

_Anakin, where are you?_

_By the tree with Padme master!_

Anakin allowed himself a mental happy sigh, grabbing onto Padme's hand; the sight of his cool and collected, not a hair out of place master, calming him as always. What with the lights and the food, and Padme, and now Obi-Wan had made it- today was going to be the best day ever!

"Seasons greetings your Majesty" Obi-Wan bowed.  
"Thank you so much for inviting us; I do hope I haven't kept you waiting too long?"

"Not at all, we are still expecting a few others"

"Pay attention padawan, Queen Amidala has given an excellent lesson in diplomacy" Obi-Wan smiled.

"What took you so long? I thought you said you weren't far from Naboo?" Anakin tilted his head as he looked at his master.

"I had to see a man about a dog" Obi-Wan answered serenely.  
The youngsters looked confused.  
"It's an old Earth saying"

"Does it have anything to do with Yuleween?"

"On this occasion, yes"

"What's in your bag?" Anakin took a step forward, to which Obi-Wan took one back.

"What bag?"

"You know what bag master! Is it a present for me?"

"No. Absolutely not! I assume her Majesty has kindly given you gifts?"

The young girl blushed, or at least everything in her manner suggested she was, but it was hard to tell under the makeup.  
"I got you one too" she defended.

Obi-Wan's face softened. He had never felt old until he met these two.  
"I appreciate the thought, and I am grateful for your generosity madam, but Jedi can not accept gifts and we do not have possessions" he turned to Anakin as he said this.

"But! But..." Anakin spluttered indignantly.

"Forgive me knight Kenobi, I respect the beliefs of the order, I just thought that after everything the Jedi did to help Naboo, a gift in friendship during the holidays would be alright. I meant no offense " Padme inclined her head.

"I know you didn't" Obi-Wan sighed. "Force forgive me. Just this once we can accept, now can we eat please?"

"Yes!" Anakin crowed. "So what's in the bag?"

"This is a pathetic lifeform" Obi-Wan knelt with a flourish and opened the bag the rest of the way.  
At first nothing happened but eventually a small canine wriggled out.

"You got me a puppy!" Anakin squealed

"Neither of us could handle a puppy. No, I'm afraid she is just small and always will be. I thought she would eat less and take up less space, not that that has been the case with you..." Obi-Wan mused.

"That's cause I'm growing" Anakin giggled as he cuddled the dog and got licked in the face.

"Cheeky brat"

"Ladies and gentlemen, please let's be seated for dinner before it gets cold and all the cooks effort is wasted" Padme announced. "You two can sit by me"

Anakin stared awestruck, not knowing where to begin. He eventually took his eyes off the table when he felt a nudge at his side, and through the bond, to find Obi-Wan holding out a loaded plate to him.  
"Thanks master, but I was hoping I could have..." Anakin waved a thumb back in the general direction of the nerf ribs and bantha burgers.

Obi-Wan's first thought was to frown sternly and deny the child, as the Jedi order were vegetarian, but he stopped just as quickly when he remembered all the burgers he had eaten at Dex's.

"Just this once" was fast becoming his answer to everything today he thought, as he got out bowls from his backpack and fed and watered the dog.

"Good girl Spot" he murmured, ignoring some tsking about manners from some nearby old women.

"Napkin padawan, in your case I'd advise one on your lap and one in your neckline"

Anakin made an affirmative sound and actually did as he was told, too happy to even think about making some smart comment.

Padme smiled at the pair. "So tell me how you came to have Spot, knight Kenobi?"

Anakin made a displeased noise and Obi-Wan raised an index finger in warning "Do not even think about talking with your mouth full! We are guests of her Majesty Anakin!"

The boy swallowed fast, coughed, took a swig of water and apologised. "I'm not calling my dog Spot!"

"What do you suggest then?" Obi-Wan had had such hopes for the day, but he was beginning to look forward to going to bed and the whole thing becoming a memory.

Anakin thought for a little while "Dot?"

"It is sufficiently similar enough that I don't think she'll be able to tell the difference" Obi-Wan offered dryly.  
Anakin beamed and carried on eating.

"Her owner used to sell her as a pup so he could charge more credits, when she didn't grow or lose baby teeth, or do any of the things a growing dog should, she would be returned and he would repeat the trick. People started talking and they realised they were all talking about the same man so they confronted him. He was going to dispose of her"

Padme's gaze flicked to Anakin and Obi-Wan's followed.  
"You saved her" she said quietly, too solemn and serious for the time and event.

"I suppose I did. It's what master Jinn would have done" Obi-Wan replied, equally quietly.

XXX

The day finally wound down and came to an end.  
Padme had provided Obi-Wan and Anakin with accommodation in the Theed palace, as traveling with a young boy after such a long and eventful day would have been an act of cruelty.

Both she and Anakin had been unsure if it was perhaps too soon, after all master Jinn had lost his life there, and the last thing she wanted was to cause the young knight pain, but he had assured them that it was in the past and he had long let go of his emotions on the subject.  
Though she didn't personally understand it, she didn't press the issue and accepted his response.

Now he and Anakin watched as she gave each of her guests a candle to light when they were home.

"Do you wanna get one for Qui- Gon?" Anakin asked.  
His master was silent so long, Anakin stroked Dot's soft ears, worried he had said the wrong thing.

"The purpose of the candle is to provide a light to guide the spirit home, yes?  
Anakin nodded.

"You would still call Tatooine home, and if anyone asked me, I would say my home was Coruscant.  
I don't believe Master Jinn felt that way; he was so in tune with the living force, that everywhere was his home... and besides, what does the code teach us about death padawan?"

"That there is none"

"There is only the force" Obi-Wan finished. "Qui- Gon isn't a wondering wraith to be called home- he is one with the force, he is already home"


End file.
